A gas turbine engine or combustor converts chemical energy of a fuel or a fuel and air mixture into thermal energy. Gas turbines include a compressor that compresses air which is channeled to a combustor where it is mixed with fuel and ignited for generating combustion gases. The combustion gases flow downsteam through one or more stages of turbines and over the turbine's blades, spinning the turbine, which powers the compressor and, for some turbines, drives their mechanical output. The energy given up to the turbine comes from the reduction in the temperature of the exhaust gas. Energy is extracted in the form of shaft power, compressed air and thrust, in any combination, and used to power generators, aircraft, trains, and ships.
A turbine stage includes a row of turbine rotor blades secured to the outer perimeter of a rotor disk with a stationary turbine nozzle having a plurality of stator vanes disposed upstream therefrom. The combustion gases flow between the stator vanes and the turbine blades for extracting energy to rotate the rotor disk. The temperatures within gas turbines may exceed 2500° F. and cooling of turbine blades is very important in terms of blade longevity. The turbine blades and vanes include small internal cavities and channels to provide cooling. Without cooling, turbine blades would rapidly deteriorate.
Since the combustion gasses are hot, the turbine vanes and blades are typically cooled with a portion of air bled from the compressor for this purpose. Diverting any portion of the compressor air from use in the combustor necessarily decreases the overall efficiency of the gas turbine. It is desired to cool the vanes and blades with as little compressor bleed air as possible. Particle contamination in the cooling air may block or restrict cooling airflow through the cooling cavities and channels.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a particle separator system that provides particle separation from the cooling airflow without affecting or minimizing the effect on cooling airflow to the compressor that may undesirably affect performance.